NEW YORK — Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a partnership between the New York State Department of Health and the State University of New York to help college faculty, staff and students identify sexual assault and interpersonal violence, as well as learn safe methods of intervention. This collaboration is the latest in a long line of efforts by Governor Cuomo’s “Enough is Enough” campaign to end sexual violence on college campuses.
“New York is a national leader in the fight against sexual assault on college campuses and this new training further strengthens our efforts,” Governor Cuomo said. “If we are to truly put an end to these very serious crimes, New Yorkers must not only understand how to protect themselves, but also know how to help when others are in danger.”
The trainings utilize existing research related to sexual violence prevention on college campuses to teach bystanders how to intervene safely before, during and after an incident of sexual abuse, relationship violence, or stalking. Following these trainings, SUNY faculty and staff are certified to implement bystander intervention training programs and share their new knowledge and skills with the entire student body. These bystander trainings are made possible thanks to an existing $496,000 federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rape Prevention and Education Program grant. All SUNY campuses are eligible to participate at no cost to the school.
SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher said, “Through these training programs, we will provide students, faculty, and staff with new insight into how to recognize an incident of violence before it occurs and teach them a few actions they can take that may prevent it from happening. Thank you to Commissioner Zucker and his staff for their continued support and partnership as we work to prevent sexual and interpersonal violence on SUNY campuses and in New York’s communities.”
